Rotary blowers of the type to which the present disclosure relates are referred to as “superchargers” because they effectively super charge the intake of the engine. One supercharger configuration is generally referred to as a Roots-type blower that transfers volumes of air from an inlet port to an outlet port. A Roots-type blower includes a pair of rotors which must be timed in relationship to each other and, therefore, are driven by meshed timing gears which are potentially subject to conditions such as gear rattle and bounce. Typically, a pulley and belt arrangement for a Roots blower supercharger is sized such that, at any given engine speed, the amount of air being transferred into the intake manifold is greater than the instantaneous displacement of the engine, thus increasing the air pressure within the intake manifold and increasing the power density of the engine.
Superchargers such as the Roots-type blower can include electromagnetic clutch assemblies, which include armature assemblies. Typical armature assemblies incorporate a single armature plate. These single plates can be prone to dust buildup. Excess dust can accumulate on the armature plate which could lead to premature clutch wear. Clutch dust can also lead to loss of torque capacity, stick/slip conditions, and noise. Single armature plates can also be susceptible to distortion due to the heat generated during engagement of the supercharger.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently-named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.